This week, Stephen Donnelly covers election results in the ACT, the NT, and Western Australia. First-time guest Louise Crossman is a Canberra based political strategist and former president of ACT Labor. She and Stephen discuss the ACT results, including the rise of independents and how Labor almost lost the seat of Bean. In the Northern Territory Ryan Neve explains how turnout for Labor in remote communities ensured big swings in Lingiari, and the impact a popular CLP Chief Minister had on the ...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 298
Hi Social Democrats, We’re taking your favourite centre-left podcast out of the studio for our first live audience recording — and you’re invited. Join us to celebrate the historic landslide victory of the Albanese Labor government and the spectacular downfall of the Liberal Party. When: 7:00 pm, Thursday 29 May (doors open 6:15) Where: The Toff, 2nd Floor, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne Tickets: $15 + booking fee – Limited to 110 seats. Book early to avoid missing out ! Free entry...
May 19, 2025•1 min
Stephen is back with his old comrades from New South Wales and Tasmania to recap Labor’s wins - including the seats they didn’t see coming. Todd Pinkerton returns to represent NSW. They cover the role of unions in framing the debate for workers’ rights, the stunning loss of Dickson, ‘campaign effect’, and what it all means for campaigners going forward. Meanwhile Jack Milroy from Tasmania shares some intriguing intel about Liberal campaigners in the state - and just how soon they started fearing...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 297
Social Democrats, pop the champagne! After five fascinating weeks, we’re taking a victory lap. Delightedly digging into every step, misstep, and seat we didn’t see coming. So what went wrong for the Coalition’s campaign apparatus? And what does it mean that Labor had one of the lowest primary votes and highest 2nd preference votes in history? Stephen Donnelly is joined by his regular election co-hosts, Jessie McCrone and David Feeney, to answer these questions and get a few other things off thei...
May 08, 2025•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 296
Stephen Donnelly, Jessie McCrone, and David Feeney take us through the final stretch of the Australian Federal Election. From the price of homes to the price of eggs, Albanese and Dutton have some zesty exchanges in the final leaders’ debate. Stephen wonders if the Labor campaign is feeling a little too confident. Jessie shares some intel on the hidden - but highly effective - work of the Labor party’s “Dirt Unit” - although she prefers to call it “Democracy Empowerment Unit”. Plus - your listen...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 295
In this mega-episode, Stephen Donnelly goes on a whirlwind tour of Australia’s most hotly-contested seats for Labor. He is joined by campaign experts (see below) from each state, who shine a spotlight on the candidates, the constituents, and the issues shaping each electorate. They share the betting odds and lay their predictions on the table. This is the ultimate election night primer. ***Use the Chapter headings to jump to the seats that pique your interest - or listen to the whole episode lik...
Apr 28, 2025•3 hr 46 min•Ep. 294
Early voting is now open, and E-Day is drawing near! Stephen Donnelly, Jessie McCrone, and David Feeney are back to unpack the previous week. Both campaigns briefly paused for Easter and out of respect for the passing of Pope Francis. Who was helped, and who was hurt by this hiatus? The hosts are joined by former digital strategist for Daniel Andrews and Jacinda Ardern, Reed Fleming. Reed reveals what both major parties (and a few minor ones) have spent on their social media campaigns - plus the...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 293
Happy Easter! In this episode, Stephen Donnelly and resident pop culture expert Tess Farrell review the TV series ‘Say Nothing’, created by Joshua Zetumer, and the film ‘Conclave’ directed by Edward Berger. ‘Say Nothing’ goes inside the Provisional IRA during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. ‘Conclave’ depicts the highly secretive process of selecting a new pope. If the Easter holiday has you craving a political thriller with a heavy dose of Catholicism, we’ve got you covered. Say Nothing Trail...
Apr 20, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 292
This Week: Labor and the Liberals officially launch their campaigns. Peter Dutton’s son Harry speaks for the average worker. Shadow Minister for Education Sarah Henderson wants to gut Free TAFE. And Jacinta Nampijinpa Price wants to Make Australia Great Again, but not like that. Obviously. Stephen Donnely, Jessie McCrone, and David Feeney have a lot to cover this week. They are joined by Victorian State Correspondent for Guardian Australia, Benita Kolovos, who gives a journo’s-eye-view of life o...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 291
This week: Dutton executes a 10/10 backflip, while Albanese merely tumbles. Who will take home the gold? Stephen Donnelly is joined again by former Senator and former ALP campaign director, David Feeney, and former Deputy Chief of Staff to Daniel Andrews, Jessie McCrone. They cover the polite and somewhat snoozy first debate, and the rise and fall of the Liberal party’s disastrous attempt to force public servants back into the office. Then, they speak to campaign expert and Director of Qdos rese...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 290
Election Countdown 2025 is on! Stephen Donnelly is joined by former Senator and former ALP campaign director, David Feeney, and former ALP national organiser and Deputy Chief of Staff to Daniel Andrews, Jessie McCrone. They unpack the first week of the campaign, answering questions like: Key battleground seats to watch? How will Trump’s assault on our trade agreements influence the campaign? Do leader debates really matter? Which Tory got their hands on a typewriter this week? If you’re looking ...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 289
“You have an autocrat president next door who is threatening annexation of your country. And it’s not a joke anymore..” In December of 2024, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned with an approval rating of just 22%. His centre-left Canadian Liberal Party had been in government for the last ten years - through COVID-19, the cost of living crisis, housing shortages, and party in-fighting. Canada was ready for a change. And yet, with the federal election mere weeks away, Liberals a...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 288
The federal election is on! And we don’t want to jinx it, but Labor is looking up in the polls. Is the spotlight on Dutton and his recent slip ups impacting the Coalition’s numbers? Or has the Labor government finally struck a chord with voters on the kitchen table issues? Trump looms large in this campaign, and Australia’s next PM has a choice to make. Will they be defiant, like Trudeau? Obsequious, like Argentine’s Javier Milei? Or play it somewhere in the middle, like Kier Starmer? Stephen Do...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 287
Rapha Manajem walks into a bar. He picks up a microphone. Amidst the deafening roar of mostly oblivious pub-goers, he manages to entertain two or three people. And for some reason, he keeps going back. Now he’s a big shot with a recurring spot at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, opening next week. He also just so happens to be a fellow comrade and passionate Labor volunteer and campaigner, which makes him the perfect guest for us. From an awkward encounter with Chris Bowen, to a some...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 286
“A big reason we’re up against the wall here is, cost of living’s tough. Governments all around the world … have lost some skin. We need a big margin and we haven’t got it.” - Peter Dutton has vowed to cut public service jobs and repeal popular laws like the ‘right to disconnect’. Yet somehow, he still poses a credible threat to Labor this coming election. Is this a failure of storytelling? And if so, how can Albanese’s team lead the charge to victory? John Armitage sits down with Stephen Donnel...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 285
The year was 2012. A young Benita Kolovos arrives at her high school literature class to find a print-out on her desk. It’s the Julia Gillard misogyny speech. When it comes to riveting moments in Australian media, Gillard’s speech has few peers. It was raw, honest, and reached millions of Australian women who were fed up with double standards in the workplace, and in life. But one speech can’t fix everything. Year after year, when International Women’s Day rolls around, we have a special opportu...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 284
“Utterly disgraceful…The United States is behaving like a bandit.” On this episode of Socially Democratic, former federal MP David Feeney pulls no punches when excoriating Trump’s position on Ukraine. Plus: listener questions answered. Your primary concern was the new American regime - how the example set by Trump, Musk, and Vance might darken our shores, and how we can stop it. Back in Australia, Stephen and David examine how both major parties are laying the groundwork for their federal campai...
Mar 01, 2025•52 min•Ep. 283
With the relative decline of mainstream media and the rise of podcasts, influencers, and infinite scrolling, how is the Australian Labor party faring in the race to modernise their political campaigns? And how can social democratic parties around the world continue to compete and adapt to the ever-changing new media landscape? What role does data analytics play in shaping effective messaging, and driving innovative, efficient campaigns? On this week’s episode of Socially Democratic, Stephen Donn...
Feb 22, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 282
On a cloudy day in Melbourne’s West, campaign workers in clashing t-shirts formed lines outside of schools and community centres. Residents, who often suffer from congested roads, this time navigated foot traffic on their way to the voting booth. February 8th, 2025 was the day of the Werribee by-election. It came after long-serving Labor MP, Tim Pallas announced his retirement - kicking off Labor’s first real pressure test of the year. Stephen Donnelly sits down with seasoned pollster and campai...
Feb 13, 2025•55 min•Ep. 281
This week, Stephen Donnelly and former Labor Campaign Director and federal MP, David Feeney, unpack the way forward for Albanese’s Labor government as the federal election looms. In a complex, de-centralised, and increasingly click-baity media landscape, the Labor Government has their work cut out for them if they intend to keep the national conversation focused on key issues - particularly while Dutton dangles culture-war bait. Is Labor adequately prepared for the fight ahead? Will Feeney deliv...
Feb 06, 2025•55 min•Ep. 280
In this episode, Stephen Donnelly and former Obama speechwriter Terry Szuplat have a wide-ranging discussion on everything from Obama’s journey in public speaking, to Trump’s latest inaugural address, to Rev. Mariann Budde’s controversial sermon, and the influence of AI in speechwriting. And of course, they chat about Terry’s new book, S ay It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience . In Say it Well , Terry opens up about his own struggles with public speaking, and lays out ...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 279
“Kennett was … ripping the heart out of country areas.” 25 years ago in Victoria, Jeff Kennett’s Liberal Party was up for re-election. Holding a large majority of seats, they were expected to win the election and entrench another generation of conservative rule in Victoria. But, in the background, the Steve Bracks-led Labor Party was building momentum in unlikely places. What resulted was a political upheaval that surprised everyone - even, until the final stretch, Steve Bracks. In this week’s e...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 278
“We love what we do, but love is not paying the rent for us right now.” Senator Jess Walsh joins Stephen Donnelly to chat about the Big Steps Campaign, which recently resulted in a historic 15% pay rise for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers across Australia. Senator Walsh covers the strengths and challenges of organising across multiple employers in a typically undervalued and feminised industry. They also discuss how Walsh overcame her fears and got her first taste of organising with c...
Jan 16, 2025•58 min•Ep. 277
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by Socially Democratic’s Pop Culture Correspondent Tess Farrell for our annual pop culture wrap up for 2024. 2024 was a big year for horror, but there were still some political dramas available on streaming including Alex Garland’s Civil War , The Diplomat on Amazon Prime, and the controversial Trump biopic, The Apprentice . Tess and Stephen give their reviews for their favourite shows/movies of 2024, and share their summer ...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by Democratic consultant Katie Parsons for our annual International Politics Year in Review. From the slew of elections across the world, including those in the UK, US, and across Europe, to the big moments in political activism and unrest, like the recent events in South Korea, Katie joins the show to help unpack the year of elections. We hope you have a Merry Christmas, a safe holiday season, and a great new year. The pres...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by former Labor Campaign Director and federal MP, David Feeney. It’s our final Feeney Files for the year - A Very Feeney Christmas Special. David chats about the recent Syrian uprising, which saw the end of the 50+ year reign of the Assad regime, and will have ripple effects across the middle east and throughout global geopolitics. Then we wrap up our favourite moments in auspol this year, and muse on what’s to come in 2025....
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by Josh Burns and Anika Wells. To kick off the festive month of December, we are resuming our tradition, with Josh and Anika returning to the show to unpack the year that was #auspol. From ending Stage 3 Tax Cuts and the ongoing cost of living crisis, the various incidents in parliament, Australia’s success at the Olympics, and Trump’s impact on Aussie politics, the pair cover a lot of ground before wrapping up with their ex...
Dec 05, 2024•58 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by former Labor Campaign Director and federal MP, David Feeney. It is a belated episode so there is a lot to catch up on! From the US presidential and Queensland state elections, gossip from both federal and Victorian state politics, the Melbourne Mayoral race, to the rumours of a February Federal Election, it’s a jam packed episode of the Feeney Files. Got a question for David? Join patreon and get them in before our Xmas s...
Nov 28, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by Managing Director at Bassline Strategy, David Kitching. David is back, calling in from Dublin to give us the state of the race in Ireland before voters in the Irish Republic head to the polls next Friday. He also discussed why Sinn Féin’s vote has collapsed in the published polls, how immigration and the cost of living are shaping the debate and can Ivana Bacik and Labour increase their representation in the Oireachteas. ...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Dunn Street founder and Community Organiser Stephen Donnelly was joined by Democratic consultant Katie Parsons and co-founder of Run For Something Ross Morales Rocketto. Kate and Ross for our final installment of our 2024 Presidential Election series, unpacking the disappointing results from Nov 5th. What went wrong? What went right? And where do progressives go from here? Join the Socially Democratic Patreon to listen to get early access to new episodes: https://tinyurl.com/45bc4wub The present...
Nov 09, 2024•1 hr 18 min
